


Something Different

by KateKintail



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Daisy Chain of Awesome, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateKintail/pseuds/KateKintail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Yule Ball comes with unforeseen complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Different

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: JKR’s characters. I play for free and for fun.
> 
> Notes: Written for the Harry Potter Daisy Chain of Awesome

“Okay, okay, we know you’re a girl,” he said. “That do? Will you come now?”

“I’ve already told you!” Hermione said very angrily. “I’m going with someone else!” 

And she stormed off toward the girls’ dormitories again. She slammed the door to the fourth years’ room behind her, glad the other girls weren’t in there. It was nice to have an excuse to wear a dress instead of the same robes. It was nice to be able to show that she was something more than just a bookworm. But this whole thing had turned into a nightmare. 

She _knew_ Ron wanted to go to the ball with her, but she was already going with Viktor Krum. Harry wanted to go with Cho Chang, but she was already going with Cedric Diggory. And Cedric Diggory wanted to go with her. 

He’d approached her on her way out of the library one evening. It was actually a little endearing the way boys kept looking for her at the library. 

_“Hi, Hermione.” He stood rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. “I wanted to talk to you about something. You know those buttons…”_  
  
“It’s all right. Harry told me you said you’d asked people not to wear those ‘Potter Stinks’ buttons. That was really sweet of you.” 

_He smiled, and she noticed something dance in his eyes when his face lit like that. It made her smile back. “Thanks, but actually, I wanted to know about those.” He pointed at her chest._

_She looked down, cheeks flushing, until she realized he meant her S.P.E.W. badge. “Oh,I know what it spells, but  it doesn’t have to do with—”_

_Before she could finish, he cut her off. “It’s house elves something, right? Equal rights? Respect? Something like that?”_

_So astounded, she took an instinctual step back. “That’s right.”_

_“Could you sign me up?” His hand plunged into his pocket and withdrew a few knuts._

_She’d stopped carrying the ledger and little collection box around. But she wrote down his name on a piece of parchment she had with her._

_“You seem surprised. You haven’t had many people ask?” She shook her head. “My common room’s right outside the kitchen. I’ve been there a bunch of times. They seem to really like their jobs, but I care about their rights. I don’t want to see them mistreated. I want them to be treated fairly.”_

_He was such a Hufflepuff. “Well, thanks. I’ll find you at breakfast tomorrow morning and give you your badge and the first issue of the newsletter.”_

_“That would be great.” There was that smile again._

_She smiled back again._

_“While I’ve got you here… have you got a date to the Yule Ball yet?”_

_Twice in one short little conversation, he had managed to surprise her. It took her a moment to breathe again. “Um, yes. Sorry. Krum asked me a few days ago…”_

_“Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck again._

_She held her hand out, the bronze coins on her palm. “If you want your money back—”_

_“No,” He took her hand in his, so warm and soft, and curled her fingers around the coins for her. “That wasn’t some stupid reason to ease into asking you out. I really do care. And it occurred to me that if we care about the same things…”_

_Hermione had had it with so many unfinished sentences. She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek._

Now, looking back at it, she couldn’t believe she’d done it. But in the moment, it had just felt right. Now, she just felt confused. In the span of a week, three boys had asked her out. Hermione liked the idea of the Yule Ball, and an excuse to do something different, be something different. But she hadn’t expected how different it was going to be for her. 


End file.
